Open Arms of Minnesota

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Welcome to Open Arms
Open Arms of Minnesota prepares & delivers nourishing meals to critically ill Minnesotans and their families in need —100% free of charge to our clients.
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Fresh, Healthy, Delicious
Our dietitians guide our trained chefs in developing a variety of tasty menu items tailored to specific illnesses.
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Nutrition Support
Our dietitians provide free-of-cost nutrition education & support directly to clients, with a focus on individualized care
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A Community of Love
Open Arms is powered by our incredible volunteers, who ensure our critically ill neighbors are always nourished with love.
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Staying Safe
Click to learn how we're keeping our clients, volunteers, and staff safe during COVID-19.
Latest update
Opening Our Arms Wider To Nourish Our Neighbors
Click to learn more about the $6.8M Opening Our Arms Wider To Nourish Our Neighbors campaign aimed at capacity increases, client and volunteer growth, and expansion to the East Metro.
Campaign Website
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What We Offer

Medically Tailored Meals

Our registered dietitians guide our trained chefs in developing delicious, made-from-scratch meals tailored to specific illnesses.

Convenient Home Deliveries

With the help of our volunteer drivers, we deliver a week’s worth of meals at a time, allowing clients to focus on healing and spending more time with loved ones.

Nutrition
Support

Our Nutrition Team is always available for our clients. They provide each client a nutritional assessment and offer free nutrition counseling & education services.​

HEALTHY
Ingredients

We use fresh, local, and organic ingredients whenever possible—most of it prepared in-house and some of it grown ourselves at one of our five Open Farms locations.

Care for
Clients & FAmiLy

Meals are delivered not only to our clients, but also to dependents and caregivers. Income is not a qualifier for our services, and we operate on models of abundance, community, & social responsibility.

A Community of Kindness & Love

Everything we do relies on our incredible community of supporters and volunteers, who ensure that our meals are always prepared and delivered with love.
What you all do is so important. There are many people we know who have benefited from your services, should have, or could have had they lived in the Twin Cities — it could happen to any of us. Thank you for what you and all of the volunteers do.
Marina, a supporter of Open Arms
Thank you to the many generous donors, countless volunteers, and staff for providing me with the one bright spot in my week. You all have made such a difference in my life, and I can't thank you enough.
A client of Open Arms
As a dietitian, I know the impact nutrition has on health, and I am grateful Open Arms is able to serve so many people in the Twin Cities. Thanks for the work you do!
A supporter of Open Arms
My form of cancer gets me tired all the time and short of breath. If I had to cook, I would probably skip many meals, doing myself and my body no good... I could not live with this cancer without your help.
Mark, a client living with cancer
The delivery driver just left about 15 minutes ago. You may not hear it too much in my voice, but you brought tears to my eyes. You did it last week too. God bless you, thank you and just continue what you're doing.
A client living with MS
I have ALS and the meals delivered weekly despite the virus pandemic is awesome. I live alone and have escaped the virus so far. But that’s because of the food delivery from Open Arms. It’s the thoughtfulness of supporters, staff, and volunteers that makes my world bright.
Patience, a longtime client living with ALS
Open Arms volunteers

FY 2021 By The Numbers

3,757

clients, caregivers and dependents served with our nourishing meals

794k

medically tailored meals cooked and delivered to our clients

62k

hours of time donated by 6,600 volunteers, equaling ~30 employees

3,726

donors supported our neighbors living with life-threatening illnesses

Our Impact

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Wishing all members of our community a happy Fourth of July! ❤️🤍💙 Our building is closed today in honor of today’s celebration. We will resume our operations tomorrow.

Have a fun and safe day!

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Wishing all members of our community a happy Fourth of July! ❤️🤍💙 Our building is closed today in honor of today’s celebration. We will resume our operations tomorrow. Have a fun and safe day!

Next week will be a short one at Open Arms as our building will be closed on Monday for the fourth of July! Can you help ensure that critically ill Minnesotans receive food as medicine, delivered directly to their front doors?

Currently, our greatest volunteer needs next week are…

🚘 Drive-thru delivery
* Tuesday – Friday

🥦 Kitchen of Opportunities (KOO)
* 8:00 – 10:00 am Tuesday through Friday
* 2:00 – 4:00 pm Tuesday through Friday
…

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Next week will be a short one at Open Arms as our building will be closed on Monday for the fourth of July! Can you help ensure that critically ill Minnesotans receive food as medicine, delivered directly to their front doors? Currently, our greatest volunteer needs next week are... 🚘 Drive-thru delivery * Tuesday – Friday 🥦 Kitchen of Opportunities (KOO) * 8:00 – 10:00 am Tuesday through Friday * 2:00 – 4:00 pm Tuesday through Friday 🥕 2500 kitchen * 7:30 – 9:30 am Tuesday through Friday * 5:00 – 7:00 pm Tuesday through Friday * All Saturday shifts (8:00 – 10:00 am, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, 1:00 – 3:00 pm) Thank you for spreading hope and nourishment to our neighbors in need!

We are thrilled to announce Open Arms’ Client Advisory Committee has resumed meeting after a hiatus due to COVID-19! The Committee focuses on the Open Arms client experience – including meals, nutrition services, delivery, shipping, required paperwork, and other ways we communicate and interact with our clients.

The two goals of the committee are to keep the needs of our clients in the forefront, and to develop a formal review and feedback process for programmatic and …

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We are thrilled to announce Open Arms’ Client Advisory Committee has resumed meeting after a hiatus due to COVID-19! The Committee focuses on the Open Arms client experience – including meals, nutrition services, delivery, shipping, required paperwork, and other ways we communicate and interact with our clients. The two goals of the committee are to keep the needs of our clients in the forefront, and to develop a formal review and feedback process for programmatic and organizational changes. The six-member committee is set to meet again in July! Thank you to the members for their vital work in ensuring the experiences and needs of our clients are included in the decision-making processes at Open Arms! 🧡💛

Thank you to our terrific delivery drivers for bringing hope and nourishment to our critically ill neighbors’ front doors throughout all four seasons! ☀️🍂❄️🌷 We can’t thank you enough for braving the elements for Open Arms and our clients. 🚘

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Thank you to our terrific delivery drivers for bringing hope and nourishment to our critically ill neighbors’ front doors throughout all four seasons! ☀️🍂❄️🌷 We can’t thank you enough for braving the elements for Open Arms and our clients. 🚘

Please enjoy the recap video – filmed during the milestone delivery of our 10 millionth meal – by clicking the link in our bio! Earlier this month, our CEO Leah, and St. Paul Mayor @mayorcarter_ joined forces to continue our legacy of spreading hope by delivering this record-setting meal to Franco, a long-time client of Open Arms.

In the video, you’ll hear from Franco about how our services and volunteers impact his life and from Leah on the importance of every meal in the lives of…

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Please enjoy the recap video – filmed during the milestone delivery of our 10 millionth meal - by clicking the link in our bio! Earlier this month, our CEO Leah, and St. Paul Mayor @mayorcarter_ joined forces to continue our legacy of spreading hope by delivering this record-setting meal to Franco, a long-time client of Open Arms. In the video, you’ll hear from Franco about how our services and volunteers impact his life and from Leah on the importance of every meal in the lives of our clients. 🧡💛

Happy #NationalOnionDay! 🧅 Open Arms goes through an incredible 350 pounds of onions A WEEK, which are incorporated into nutritious and delicious meals for Minnesotans living with life-threatening illnesses.

Thank you to our mighty team of volunteers and chefs who brave tears to chop these onions!

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Happy #NationalOnionDay! 🧅 Open Arms goes through an incredible 350 pounds of onions A WEEK, which are incorporated into nutritious and delicious meals for Minnesotans living with life-threatening illnesses. Thank you to our mighty team of volunteers and chefs who brave tears to chop these onions!

Happy Twin Cities Pride, Open Arms family! 🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ We are so excited to see everyone, and make new friends and connections at our booth in Loring Park today. Stop by, say hi, and (possibly) win a prize by playing our fun game!

Take a photo of our booth and tag us – Open Arms of Minnesota on Facebook and @openarmsmn everywhere else. 🧡💛

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Happy Twin Cities Pride, Open Arms family! 🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ We are so excited to see everyone, and make new friends and connections at our booth in Loring Park today. Stop by, say hi, and (possibly) win a prize by playing our fun game! Take a photo of our booth and tag us – Open Arms of Minnesota on Facebook and @openarmsmn everywhere else. 🧡💛

A special message from one of our clients to all our amazing volunteers. 🧡 You play a crucial role in the lives of critically ill Minnesotans. Thank you for bringing nourishment and kindness to our clients.

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A special message from one of our clients to all our amazing volunteers. 🧡 You play a crucial role in the lives of critically ill Minnesotans. Thank you for bringing nourishment and kindness to our clients.

Today, Open Arms recognizes Global ALS/MND Awareness Day. ALS is a disease that impacts people in every country around the globe. At Open Arms, we’ve supported our neighbors living with ALS since 2005, by providing nourishing meals delivered with love.

This year, the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations emphasizes the fundamental rights of people living with ALS and their caregivers. We are proud to be able to provide nutritious meals to Minnesotans living with ALS and …

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Today, Open Arms recognizes Global ALS/MND Awareness Day. ALS is a disease that impacts people in every country around the globe. At Open Arms, we’ve supported our neighbors living with ALS since 2005, by providing nourishing meals delivered with love. This year, the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations emphasizes the fundamental rights of people living with ALS and their caregivers. We are proud to be able to provide nutritious meals to Minnesotans living with ALS and their caregivers at no cost to our clients.

It’s always important to stay hydrated, especially during these hot and humid summer days in Minnesota! 🥵

Please be sure to drink water throughout the day. 💧 A tip from Open Arms’ Nutrition Team: You can also eat food with high water content, such as watermelons, cucumbers, and berries, to help you stay hydrated! 🍉🥒🫐🍓

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It’s always important to stay hydrated, especially during these hot and humid summer days in Minnesota! 🥵 Please be sure to drink water throughout the day. 💧 A tip from Open Arms’ Nutrition Team: You can also eat food with high water content, such as watermelons, cucumbers, and berries, to help you stay hydrated! 🍉🥒🫐🍓

❤️ Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, marking the day that enslaved African Americans in Texas learned that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed them – over two years after the President signed the order. Juneteenth, first called Jubilee Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the US, and has been celebrated for 156 years.

Our buildings and operations will be closed tomorrow to honor this important holiday. We hope our Open Arms family members have an impactful and enjoyable …

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❤️ Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, marking the day that enslaved African Americans in Texas learned that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed them - over two years after the President signed the order. Juneteenth, first called Jubilee Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the US, and has been celebrated for 156 years. Our buildings and operations will be closed tomorrow to honor this important holiday. We hope our Open Arms family members have an impactful and enjoyable Juneteenth. Image: The Juneteenth Flag

Can you help ensure critically ill Minnesotans receive nutrition and love next week through Open Arms’ #medicallytailoredmeals? We currently have volunteer openings for….

🚘 Drive-Thru Delivery
* Tuesday – Friday

🥕 2500 kitchen
* 7:30 – 9:30 am Tuesday through Friday
* 5:00 – 7:00 pm Wednesday through Friday
* All Saturday shifts (8:00 – 10:00 am, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, 1:00 – 3:00 pm)

🥦 KOO kitchen
* All shifts …

View
Open
Can you help ensure critically ill Minnesotans receive nutrition and love next week through Open Arms’ #medicallytailoredmeals? We currently have volunteer openings for.... 🚘 Drive-Thru Delivery * Tuesday – Friday 🥕 2500 kitchen * 7:30 – 9:30 am Tuesday through Friday * 5:00 – 7:00 pm Wednesday through Friday * All Saturday shifts (8:00 – 10:00 am, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, 1:00 – 3:00 pm) 🥦 KOO kitchen * All shifts Wednesday through Friday (8:00 – 10:00 am, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, 12:00 – 2:00 pm, 2:00 – 4:00 pm) You can sign up through a shift through VolunteerHub! Don’t forget about our Buddy Pass! You can bring a “buddy” to join you during your next volunteer shift! Learn how to get a Buddy Pass by visiting the Volunteer link in our bio!

Happy #NationalEatYourVegetablesDay! 😋🥒🍅🥬🥕 At our five Open Farms locations, we harvest around 14,000 pounds of vegetables and herbs, which come back to our kitchen to be incorporated into #medicallytailoredmeals for our clients.

Enjoy your favorite vegetable today!

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Happy #NationalEatYourVegetablesDay! 😋🥒🍅🥬🥕 At our five Open Farms locations, we harvest around 14,000 pounds of vegetables and herbs, which come back to our kitchen to be incorporated into #medicallytailoredmeals for our clients. Enjoy your favorite vegetable today!

If you are interested in working with amazing people doing critically important work in our community, we have exciting news! Open Arms is hiring for various positions including kitchen, logistics, development/fundraising, and more! 😍 Join our team as we grow to provide nutritious and DELICIOUS meals to Minnesotans living with life-threatening illnesses.

We have open positions at all career levels! No matter where you are on your job journey, there is room for you in the Open Arms …

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If you are interested in working with amazing people doing critically important work in our community, we have exciting news! Open Arms is hiring for various positions including kitchen, logistics, development/fundraising, and more! 😍 Join our team as we grow to provide nutritious and DELICIOUS meals to Minnesotans living with life-threatening illnesses. We have open positions at all career levels! No matter where you are on your job journey, there is room for you in the Open Arms family. Check out our open positions, and learn how to apply by visiting the "Come work at Open Arms" link in our bio!

Our shipping assembly is in full force! 📦🔥 We are so proud to be able to ship #medicallytailoredmeals to critically ill Minnesotans living in greater Minnesota, outside our Twin Cities’ delivery zone.

This impressive feat wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and support of our dedicated volunteers and staff!

Are you interested in joining this crew to help bring nourishment and love to our clients throughout Minnesota? We are looking for volunteers to join us …

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Our shipping assembly is in full force! 📦🔥 We are so proud to be able to ship #medicallytailoredmeals to critically ill Minnesotans living in greater Minnesota, outside our Twin Cities’ delivery zone. This impressive feat wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and support of our dedicated volunteers and staff! Are you interested in joining this crew to help bring nourishment and love to our clients throughout Minnesota? We are looking for volunteers to join us on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 3:00 pm! You can sign up for a shift through VolunteerHub - visit the Volunteer 💛 link in our bio!

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